rubicat

Hot days in Boston recently; iced tea season is back in full force! My first pitchers of iced tea this year have been made with Mango Maui, which is light and refreshing for a black tea. I LOVE it. I’m often torn between black tea and fruity flavours, and I love when both meet in a perfectly balanced tea. I’m generally impressed with all of the teas I’ve tried from Hawaiian Islands Tea Company, but Mango Maui has been a constant staple in my cupboard.

And like I said last year, it’s HAPPY. :)

While in Montreal last week, I was served this tea at a restaurant and immediately wanted to buy more! SSens tea comes in mainly herbal lines, but this Earl Grey has a lovely perfume without the astringency of so many other Earls. On the way home I found it at an IGA and bought two boxes. I’m drinking it sweetened with agave, and with milk. It’s a lovely, smooth Earl Grey.

I love this tea! Definitely a must-try for any milk tea drinker.

My recent Lupicia order included a letter from Angie at Lupicia’s Customer Service department and a sample of Assam Calcutta Auction. Based on my order (smooth black and milk teas), this tea fits in perfectly with my tastes. Smooth, sweet, malty, and enhanced by milk, this tea is a lovely milk or chai. I continue to be impressed by Lupicia’s attentiveness to their customers, and recommend signing up for their newsletter, which has introduced me to new flavours of tea.

The maltiness of Assam pairs well with the spice of cinnamon in this delicious tea. The flavour is smooth, with a lovely cinnamon flavour accented by clove and fennel to give it a little depth of spice. I drank this as a milk tea, and love the taste. I agree with Cofftea in that this bag is not exactly what I consider a Chai. Perhaps I can try a milk-brew next time.

Funny thing: I was heating the kettle when the UPS man delivered my parcel of Lupicia tea. How’s that for serendipitous timing? :)

On a recent cruise on Celebrity’s Constellation, I enjoyed Mhai Diva teas – Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Darjeeling. These teas are meant for cruise lines, hotels, and similar food-service outlets, but some limited retail outlets exist in Europe. I found this Earl Grey to be very smooth and creamy, with very low astringency. The quality is great for a foil-sealed tea bag.

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When I’m in the mood for thick, creamy, sweet tea, I have been reaching for this blend by Teavana. It satisfies my need for dessert, and today I have had four cups so far (and my tea “cup” is actually an 8 oz. mug!). It’s just so perfumey and yummy!

I’m still in love with this tea. I sometimes feel guilty smothering the cardamom “bite” with milk, but it’s great either way. It feels like a bold black tea with that extra kick of cardamom, and it’s deeply satisfying with or without milk. This has become my current dinner tea!

Received from a friend in Italy. A perfectly serviceable vanilla tea, but the flavour of the vanilla is not quite potent enough to stand up to milk, which I always use for black tea. Perhaps it would be better without milk… I sweetened my cup with agave nectar and enjoyed this as a morning tea. It’s not as bracing as Earl Grey, so I would suggest as a mild, smooth afternoon tea. Good, but not as creamy as I had hoped.

Received from a friend in Italy. I enjoyed this tea sweetened with agave nectar and no milk, and it was very good. A good balance of fruity sweetness and nice Ceylon black tea. I am unfamiliar with the brand, but I would put Mlesna on the same level as Bigelow or Stash tea for quality.

A nice basic Earl Grey, but not quite as smooth as some of the more high-end varieties out there. Astringent (which is OK for some Earl drinkers), and satisfying, but not impressive.

Quite astringent for an Earl Grey, but mellowed a bit with milk. Peppery and bright from the bergamot oil, which doesn’t get a lot of backup from the Ceylon tea – there’s no strong black tea feel to back up the bergamot. I like mine strong and hearty, but this one doesn’t quite get to that level (and I won’t risk oversteeping an Earl Grey).

Just received an assortment of tea from Timeless Teas, from a friend – this Assam is robust and has a malty flavor without being overly strong. I sweeten mine and add milk, which results in an earthy, satisfying breakfast tea. I look forward to trying the other Timeless Teas!

My tastebuds are still trying to figure this one out. I like the flavour of the tea, but some of the flavour in the tea (which doesn’t taste like artichoke, by the way) is hard to describe. Silky texture, full, almost smoky flavour. Definitely a black tea, but not as powerful. My mother-in-law gave me this tea, which she bought in Vietnam.

If you’ve ever been to a Persian restaurant and ended up falling in love with the tiny glass of fragrant tea, then you need to find a box of Sadaf’s Ceylon Special Blend with cardamom. Not quite as spicy as a chai, the cardamom lends a subtle kick with a sweet finish in this tea. I sweeten mine, because I’m silly that way; it’s even good with milk. But the first time you make this tea, just inhale the beautiful perfume of the cup. It’s fantastic.

Like a chai without the added spices, this tea is fabulous with milk, and satisfies any cravings for something sweet and creamy. Between this and the Eggnog’n tea, I’m all set this winter! This almost replaces hot chocolate. :)

Of the powdered green teas I’ve had, this one is great – not too strong, and a great grassy taste. That said, I rather prefer full-leaf genmai cha to this powdered tea.

I know this is laughable, but honestly, I thought that serviceable tea could be had from a vending machine! After all, Keurig has some OK teas, and I’ve had vendo-mat tea before that wasn’t awful…. however, one sip of this nasty beverage and I chucked the entire cup into the snow. It said “full leaf tea,” but this tasted like the love child of stale coffee and overbrewed tea dregs. BLECH. From a rest stop on I-91 South in CT heading toward New York.

OMG LOVE. You really need to be a milk tea drinker to appreciate this tea, which tastes thick and creamy with eggnoggy goodness. Very vanilla-y and sweet. I love this tea!

I’m a steadfast bracing black tea drinker, so I enter this tea note with a bit of a bias. While the pomegranate notes in this Oolong are quite tasty in their own right, the tea itself just doesn’t have enough oomph for my taste. A great tea if you’re a green or tisane drinker and don’t mind a very subtle taste, but pretty weak if you’re a black tea fan (especially if, like me, you prefer milk in your tea).

A great fruity black tea that’s not too sweet, nor too tart. The blackberry is rich and the tea goes well with milk.

Just had this Jasmine tea at Minado Japanese seafood buffet in Framingham, MA. Delicious!

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Light and fruity tea with a pleasant aroma that’s not too cloying. Makes an excellent iced tea, too!